Swimming pools for recreational and sporting activities are well known in the art. Conventional swimming pools are typically permanent combination pools having a shallow end and a deep end, and they often include equipment for competitive sporting activities. The underwater surfaces of such pools often exhibit depth and/or swimming lane indications.
Underwater television systems capable of monitoring and recording the aquatic performance of swimming subjects are known in the art. Such devices are typically used by security personnel and sports instructors for remotely viewing swimmers in action.
When used for recreational and social activities, conventional swimming pools offer little more than the midly illuminated body of water they contain and are therefore usually but a component of an exercise facility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,179 issued to Bond shows a health spa fitted with one such pool.
Swimming flumes are known in the art for the purpose of training olympic athletes and the like. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,845,787 issued to Lior and 5,005,228 issued to Mermelstein describe swim-in-place systems having controllable water currents. These are typically provided with pumps that produce a continuous water flow, so someone swimming against the current can regulate his or her swimming activity in order to swim substantially in place, allowing the swimmer in action to be accurately observed and videotaped while training. It is known to have such flumes fitted with dry and wet observation ports allowing multiple views of the swimming subject.
Although extremely useful for technical research purposes, these flumes have not yet been adapted for enhancing the enjoyment of aquatic activities in recreational, social and artistic contexts.